Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is seeking sweeping control over the next Likud Knesset slate, demanding 10 reserved slots for candidates of his choosing in a move that has triggered a growing internal fight inside the party ahead of the upcoming primaries.

Under Netanyahu’s proposal, he would keep the top spot on the list for himself while also reserving places 2, 4, 6 and 8 in the top 10, effectively giving him control over half of the party’s first 10 spots. He is also seeking additional reserved slots at numbers 11, 15, 18, 22 and 29. The move would allow Netanyahu to place candidates directly onto the list without a primary vote, bring in outside figures and push some sitting Likud lawmakers into lower and less secure positions.

The battle is now centered on Likud’s constitution committee, chaired by Minister Haim Katz, which is supposed to set the rules for the party primary and determine how many places Netanyahu will be allowed to reserve. The committee had been scheduled to meet Thursday ahead of the August 4 primary, but Netanyahu has already delayed the meeting twice and on Wednesday asked for a third postponement. In a letter to Likud’s internal tribunal, party attorney Ilan Bombach requested an extension until Sunday for finalizing the proposed primary rules, citing urgent constraints involving the prime minister.

The repeated delays have fueled suspicions inside Likud that Netanyahu is trying to run out the clock so that a full primary cannot be held in time, potentially allowing him to push for a smaller selection committee instead. Senior party figures believe the effort is aimed at giving Netanyahu broader control over the slate, enabling him to add outside candidates and weaken the position of current MKs. Among the names raised as possible additions are Local Government Federation chairman Haim Bibas and media personality Natali Shem Tov.

The push has drawn strong opposition from within the party. MK David Bitan, chairman of the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee, petitioned Likud’s internal tribunal demanding that the constitution committee and party institutions convene immediately and that the primary process begin without further delay. He also demanded that any reserved slot Netanyahu seeks be brought to the Likud Central Committee for a secret ballot, arguing that such a large number of personal appointments would effectively turn the party into a selection committee and undermine the democratic process.

At the same time, Netanyahu is said to be exploring understandings with Haim Katz that could help him pass the plan. Party sources claim Katz may support Netanyahu’s reserved-slot proposal in exchange for a guaranteed place on the list for his ally, MK Eti Atiya, whose chances of securing a realistic spot in an open primary are seen as slim. Katz’s office denied the claim and insisted that any decision would be brought before the proper party institutions.

Pressure is also building from newer Likud lawmakers, especially MK Tally Gotliv and other first-term members, who are pushing for primaries and warning against a system that would place their political future in the hands of a small committee. Some of them have recently accused Netanyahu of “throwing them under the bus” after they stood by him throughout the term, and messages have reportedly been sent to his associates warning that if all candidates are not given an equal chance, there could be retaliation through no-confidence votes, secret ballots and other parliamentary moves.

With the August 4 primary date approaching and July 15 serving as the deadline for candidates to submit paperwork in order to receive Knesset campaign financing, the struggle over how Likud’s slate will be built is quickly becoming one of the most explosive internal battles in the party.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)